DA inspection critical in having Umuziwabantu Municipality declared a disaster area

Thanks to the DA's inspection, Umuziwabantu municipality has been declared a local disaster zone, with dam levels sitting around a critical 15%.

The Ugu Municipality’s water and sanitation portfolio committee has officially declared Umuziwabantu Local Municipality a disaster.

This comes after the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) inspection found that Harding Dam was at a critical level of 15% capacity, while the Weza River sat at very low levels.

The DA steps in to correct measures at Umuziwabantu municipality

Both dams are the main suppliers of water in the region. Although the DA had informed municipal authorities about the worrying state of the dams, it has taken this long for any action to be taken.

Rishigen Viranna, who is the DA’s MPL in Kwa-Zulu Natal, stated that

“Umuziwabantu is fast approaching a water crisis due to severe drought conditions, and DA intervention was critical in ensuring that Ugu municipality took action.”

Community warned to expect rate hikes and restrictions

It is likely that the municipality will have no choice but to enforce water restrictions and hike up rates for residents in rural and urban parts of the hinterlands.

Viranna also added that

“As the DA works with interested parties to find lasting solutions to the Ugu water crisis, we still stand by the view that the only solution to crippling governance crisis in the municipality will come through placing it under a capable section 139 administrator.”

Viranna expressed that the fact that the water crisis plaguing the municipal district is being recognised as a disaster may be a step towards progress.

This way, a declaration of this sort will enable the municipality to institute disaster management procedures detailed in the Disaster Management Act.

Water crises plaguing more municipalities in South Africa

Droughts have struck some parts of South Africa. The Western Cape is on course to make it out of a water crisis that almost saw the coming of Day Zero.

Major parts of the Eastern Cape are also experiencing water shortages and government officials don’t seem to have any answers to address this problem.